mikey287 wrote:Man alive! Letang and Kennedy for Kulemin, Gunnarsson and a 1st? Are you guys sick? We're trying to win a Stanley Cup not return to the days of '04...I love Kulemin and all, but let's get serious here...

How about Orpik for Matt Walker and Tye McGinn too...because Orpik did have that one bad game this season...

Malkin was invisible against Carolina the other night, ship him out too because he's going to want to be paid kind of soon and we did draft Bluegers and Marcantuoni (because all of our prospects turn into NHL players)...Malkin for Max Pacioretty and Yannick Weber/Raphael Diaz? Maybe we can add a pick...

It's funny, people complain about the job Shero does with his first round picks ("too many d-men, there's a forward that a number told me I'm supposed to like that we could have taken!") then when one of the d-men develops into something good (not that Letang is even in this "fresh batch" we have cooking, but still), we want to trade him for another 1st round pick...

And then look at a previous post...Martin is a Norris candidate after 15 games of being good, but played average at best for 2 years...he's gold. The guy that was scratched in the playoffs last year, he's pure gold. Letang, who has been one of the NHL's best for the last two or three years, he's out. For a 2nd line winger, a third pairing d-man and a draft pick that everyone will complain about...

God damn, we need to win this game tonight...for the sake of the board...

Bowser wrote:Kris Letang's play is not of a number one defenseman. He's handling the puck like a grenade, no composure on the power play, can never get his shot on net, and is pushed around far too often down low in the defensive zone. He's a world class skater for an NHL player, RH shot, lightning quick hands, and could be a physical defensemen if he would be more consistent in using his leverage to positionally close off a man. Letang does just enough to be considered a top 2 defenseman and due to his age/experience, his trade value has to be high enough because of the potential to turn it around and start putting up numbers like Karlsson.

Karlsson..good skater, good hands, not physical, not exceptionally good in his own zone, young, not really a 'veteran' yet..

Anyways, I agree if Letang is moved it has to be for a very good young winger, but then I just see a gaping hole in the defense that won't be filled for several seasons.

Letang is in the cross hairs this season, just as Martin was last year. I’m wondering if the people who are all for trading Letang are the same people who were desperate to unload Martin. By the way, I don’t hear anyone clamoring for a Martin trade this season.

58 has been playing like he wants traded. Who do you think 44 and 87 are talking about when they talk about not giving full effort. Letang has been in a funk since he was replaced by Martin on the PP. It is well known 58 has thin skin and stuff like that bothers him.

Unbeliever wrote:...and he can clearly play solid D when he chooses to.

Oh my I hate this quote more than anything how can anyone that has the talent to do something and the financials taken care of ever choose not to be as great as they can in all areas of their talent. It disgusts me.

How many pieces can one chip away from a "core" before it is no longer a core? Staal now Letang? No thanks, sign him, dump Nisky, Martin, Eaton and if you must Orpik (if you must) and NOT ALL AT ONCE... But please don't trade your best you D man.

TrueNorth wrote:Letang is in the cross hairs this season, just as Martin was last year. I’m wondering if the people who are all for trading Letang are the same people who were desperate to unload Martin. By the way, I don’t hear anyone clamoring for a Martin trade this season.

It's a little different because Letang is going to get paid after next season. Also, I feel like Martin would make a mistake when the play came to him (dump ins, forechecking, etc); Letang is initiating a lot of poor plays all over the ice this season. Defensive zone he's been turning it over deep and constantly at the blue line, and we've all seen his propensity for turnovers in the offensive zone a la blind, backhand saucer passes to no one or the other team. Yes, once in awhile those connect and my God are they beautiful, but it's certainly become a rarity.

This actually is one of my big beefs with Bylsma that I referenced in another thread recently. He's become too forgiving for some of his players and not enough for others. You'd think the stars would be held to a higher standard and the rookies given the chance to grow and make mistakes, but it's completely the opposite. Certainly, it has allowed for some reaaaally bad habits to manifest and none more so than in Letang's game.

1. I for one wanted Martin traded all season long last year. Trading Letang to me would be ludicrous. So no, not all the same people.

2. Reading Therrien's presser today and hearing him talk about "teaching" as part of coaching was like a breath of fresh air. I don't see Blysma at all as a teacher, and this is my biggest critique of him and the number 1 reason why I don't think he's a sustainable coaching option (right now) for an organization that aspires to be a contender year in and year out. Blysma has not shown the ability to develop young talent that is necessary in order to stay competitive in a cap structure.

When Blysma took over Letang was just a little further in his development than Despres is right now. IMO Letang's current development issues can be tied directly to Blysma's inability to teach responsibility through accountability. Bring in a guy like Larry Robinson next year and by the end of the season Letang will look like the second coming of Scott Neidermayer out there.

Bowser wrote:Kris Letang's play is not of a number one defenseman. He's handling the puck like a grenade, no composure on the power play, can never get his shot on net, and is pushed around far too often down low in the defensive zone. He's a world class skater for an NHL player, RH shot, lightning quick hands, and could be a physical defensemen if he would be more consistent in using his leverage to positionally close off a man. Letang does just enough to be considered a top 2 defenseman and due to his age/experience, his trade value has to be high enough because of the potential to turn it around and start putting up numbers like Karlsson.

Karlsson..good skater, good hands, not physical, not exceptionally good in his own zone, young, not really a 'veteran' yet..

Anyways, I agree if Letang is moved it has to be for a very good young winger, but then I just see a gaping hole in the defense that won't be filled for several seasons.

This team's performance suffers as much when he's not in the lineup as it does when he's on the power play. Letang would benefit from some serious coaching and I'm beginning to wonder if that will happen.

As others have seen and written, letang was playing a more responsible defense with his rookie partner.Letang needs to put the practice time in for his shot on goal. He has all the skills, has been blessed; if letang would play with blinders on during the power play, make the smart play... regardless of whether sid gets the puck or not. When Letang puts shots on net; it is amazing.

Somebody needs to make him accountable for making routine plays - routine.

I don't want to see Letang traded, but at the same time, Shero's strategy of stockpiling defense does make him one of the teams more marketable assets. Now, no one is ready to take his place in the line up at this time, but at the same time, I don't think it is out of the question that he tradeable.